Catching up with the Buddha: How Psychology, Brain Science and Eastern Philosophy Are Changing Our Understanding of What It Means to be Human by Chris Niebauer

Catching up with the Buddha: How Psychology, Brain Science and Eastern Philosophy Are Changing Our Understanding of What It Means to be Human Reviews

• 
  Dennis Webb

  Great book. Covers some really interesting facts about the mind. Of course now I question which side of my brain really liked it.
• 
  Vanessa Princessa

  THIS IS THE MOST LIFE CHANGING BOOK OF 2019 FOR ME!
  
  I read this book thanks to Blinkist.
  
  The key message in these blinks:
  
  The brain’s left hemisphere is where language is processed; it’s also responsible for categorizing and interpreting reality, as well as recognizing patterns. Together, these processes create the illusion of a stable, continuous self. In order to reduce the left brain’s constant chatter as well as lessen the mental suffering it causes, we can tap into our right-brain consciousness by engaging in Eastern practices, such as yoga and meditation.
  
  Actionable advice:
  
  Have a complaint-free day.
  
  The opposite of gratitude is complaint. And, unfortunately, in contemporary society, complaining has become a common form of social interaction. If you’ve ever found yourself competing with friends to prove that you had the worst day or that your job is the most stressful, then you’re familiar with this phenomenon. If you’d like to get in the habit of feeling true gratitude, a great way to start is to cease complaining. So why not start now? Try to go a full day without making a single complaint.
  
  What to read next:
  
  Buddha’s Brain, by Rick Hanson.
  
  As you now know, the two hemispheres of the human brain have drastically different ways of processing the world. The left brain is categorical; it interprets the world in words, delivering a constant inner monologue. The right brain is holistic; it sees all aspects of the world as interconnected, and is most active when we’re simply doing rather than consciously thinking.
  
  If you’re intrigued by this neuroscientific insight and how it intersects with Eastern teachings, then we highly recommend the blinks to Buddha’s Brain, by Rick Hanson.
  
  Hanson argues that the individuals we tend to regard as enlightened – people such as the Buddha and Jesus – didn’t possess brains with some special, enlightenment-prone quality; rather, they simply tapped into the right hemisphere’s natural abilities. Drawing on the field of neuroscience, he explains how everyone can discipline their brain to follow their lead, thus achieving greater happiness and inner peace.
  
• 
  Douglas Gibson

  
  
  Anyone who has been around me the past two weeks has already heard all about this book. It has had a “cult like” effect on me and I can’t stop talking about it. This book is an absolute MUST read for anyone who is on any type of journey of self-improvement.
  Once you are converted to this book’s way of understanding what your left brain is doing to you- you will be able to stop gossiping, stop complaining, stop hating yourself, and stop being hurt by the comments of others.
  I have been putting some of the practices that I have learned in this book to work the past two weeks and they have already helped to improve my mood, well being, and my relationships with others.
  This quote from the book sums up much of what the book sets out to teach; “ Recognizing what the left brain does has immense practical benefits. Simply becoming aware of the interpreter and the endless categories it creates through judgment frees you from being tied to the inevitability of these judgments. That is just say, when you become conscious of the interpreter, you are free to choose to no longer take its interpretation so seriously. In other words when you realize that everyone’s brain is constantly interpreting, in ways that are subjective and often inaccurate or completely incorrect, you might find yourself able to grasp this as “just my opinion “or “the way I see it” rather than “this is the way it is.” You begin to see your judgment as simply a different line in the sand than others. When someone approaches you with a “this is the way it is“ attitude you can appreciate that this person is dominated by the left brain, that they are servant to its master. As a result, there is no need to take their actions or attitudes personally; it’s a biological function that they have not yet recognized. This small perspective shift is enough to change how we live with each other and ourselves.” Page 32
  
• 
  Morgan Blackledge

  I really dislike giving books less than a 4/5 star review.
  
  I used to slag on books.
  
  But I try not to do it at all anymore.
  
  Ordinarily.
  
  If I don’t LOVE a book.
  
  I don’t finish it.
  
  And I ABSOLUTELY refuse to review a books I didn’t finish.
  
  The main reason I don’t do negative reviews anymore is.
  
  They end up being harmful.
  
  Particularly if it makes people who liked the book feel bad.
  
  Or if it keeps people from reading something that they may like or find useful.
  
  I also care about the people who (a) take the time to write a book, and (b) whose livelihood depends (in part, or entirely) on book sales.
  
  I have immense respect for people who actually manage to write books (especially considering that I haven’t done that yet, and may never actually get my shit together enough to accomplish such a difficult and often low return feat).
  
  Given all that.
  
  This will be one of the only 3/5 star reviews I will post in 2024.
  
  I actually liked this book.
  
  And I finished it.
  
  And I recommend it to people who are new to the Buddhism, meets Neuroscience (NeuroDharma) universe.
  
  I (unfortunately) read it side by side with Ian McGilcrest’s Ways Of Attending, and that was just plain unfair to this author.
  
  Plus.
  
  I have read (literally hundreds) of books in this space.
  
  And I’m working on a dissertation in this general area.
  
  I’m not bragging.
  
  It’s just true.
  
  So I’m kind of burned out on books like this.
  
  Given all that.
  
  Please please please read this if it looks like something you would enjoy and find interesting and informative.
  
  I liked it.
  
  I didn’t love it.
  
  You might love it.
  
  3/5 ✨
• 
  Andrew Kitzmiller

  The left brain is the enemy
  
  My left brain had a problem accepting the premise of this book; that the story telling part of the brain is responsible for all suffering and delusion. My right brain gave it 4 stars.
• 
  Moh. Nasiri

  
  خود را مبین که رستی
  “No self, no problem.”
  The brain’s tendency to perceive patterns creates the illusion of the self and can cause mental suffering. 
  مشکل از خودبینی است: خودبینی نیمکره چپ مغز و رهایی از آن با مدیتیشن نیمکره راست
  
  The brain’s left hemisphere is where language is processed; it’s also responsible for categorizing and interpreting reality, as well as recognizing patterns. Together, these processes create the illusion of a stable, continuous self. In order to reduce the left brain’s constant chatter as well as lessen the mental suffering it causes, we can tap into our right-brain consciousness by engaging in Eastern practices, such as yoga and meditation.
  ......
  من می اندیشم پس هستم-دکارت
  پس وقتی خود هست مشکل پابرجاست.
  If you’re familiar with one sentence from the annals of Western philosophy, it’s probably this one: Cogito, ergo sum – I think, therefore I am. Formulated by René Descartes in the seventeenth century, these words encapsulate a particular, and particularly Western, worldview – namely, that humankind is defined by thinking.
  
  Descartes would have you believe that there is a stable, continuous “I,” a thinking entity from whom thoughts emanate. And most people – in the West, at least – would agree with him. After all, each of us refers to ourselves as an “I” all the time, and, usually, we’ve got a pretty clear idea who we’re talking about.
  
  But does this “I” really exist? The central argument of Eastern philosophy, as presented by Buddhism, is that there is no “I.” Rather, it is thought that creates the illusion of a continuous self – and that this illusion is at the root of all human suffering.
  
  These book details the ways that neuroscience is substantiating these millennia-old Eastern ideas, showing why Zen Buddhists might have been right when they said, “No self, no problem.”
  
  how yoga and meditation help the right brain;
  that pattern recognition isn’t always a good thing; and
  what the world looks like when the left brain goes offline.
  ....
  
  (blinkist summary)
• 
  Ali Hussein

  Amazing analysis of the left and right brain along with great insights on consciousness and Buddhism. Buddhism is forever light years ahead of science and time aha. Great read.
• 
  Tiffany

  I was really hoping to learn and really enjoy this book. The topic is something I am particularly interested in. Maybe it is because we don't have enough scientific evidence. But I felt this book to be a little simplistic - only dividing the brain up to "left" and "right" when it is so much more complex. The central idea of how the left vs right brain functions is very interesting and I do enjoy the thought experiments the book suggests. It is a pretty quick read as well. All in all it feels like it could be a good ted talk instead of a whole book.
• 
  Jurgen Appelo

  Nice wrap-up and mash-up of neuroscience and spirituality, though at times a bit too esoteric tor me.
• 
  Mert Topcu

  Short and to the point.
  I found it really helpful making the connection between my analytical thinking and spiritual quest. The book talks about how the latest neuroscience findings are aligned with East philosophies such as Buddhism, Taoism etc.
  And it does this by talking about left and right brain.
  
  At times, the references to East philosophies fall short and too shallow however this is the trade off to have a short book. It is not fair to expect him to get into really deep in those topics. So it's probably better if you already have certain grasp in some of Eastern concepts.
  
  In short, I really liked the book and it gave me the opportunity to make peace between my analytical and spiritual thinking.
• 
  Malum

  A must read for anyone interested in how the brain messes with your sense of reality.
• 
  michelletliu

  "Stop thinking, and end your problems. - Lao Tzu"
  
  I wholeheartedly believe in the ideas from this book, but it really doesn’t do that great a job of arguing for itself. So 100% confirmation bias on my end, but I'm still glad I read (listened to) this.
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  "The self that you think you know is not real."
  
  "It is the process of thinking that creates the self, rather than there being a self having any independent existence separate from thought."
  
  “We are the only species that we know of that can believe in ourselves, lie to ourselves, convince ourselves, love or hate ourselves, accept ourselves, push and even pull ourselves.”
  
  “ 'Do you want to know what my secret is?'... 'I don't mind what happens.' "
• 
  Ioana Crețu

  Parcă am recitit „Cartea despre acel tabu care te împiedică să afli cine ești” (Alan W. Watts), doar că de data aceasta dintr-o perspectivă neuropsihologică.
• 
  Aleksandra Doneva

  One of the most influential books I have read so far.
  
  It makes you question decisions and patterns of thinking you have always made without much contemplation. The ideas presented will definetely bring a lot more awareness into your being and will change the way you perceive your relationships, as well as yourself as individual and as a part of society.
  
  I also enjoyed how the information is structured and the gradual way in which ideas are presented and build on with the advancement of the book. The author combines knowledge of religion and science in a captivating way by also giving fascinating insights from their complementation.
  
  
• 
  Nam

  Wonderful read. It kind of reminded me of ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle but with more science and less “God”.
• 
  Carlos Manuel

  Very interesting approach to self reflection. Buddhism and neurophysiology end up having extremely striking similarities worth contemplating. The book reveals how our mind creates a posteriori stories to justify what is happening to us. These stories are usually not the actual cause of our state and, therefore, being aware of this helps us manage our response to our own thoughts in a more enlightened way.
  
  At times, however, the brain is oversimplified and the author falls into the simplistic and outdated categories of right vs. left brain. Useful metaphor for understanding the topic, but one should not forget that this is not scientifically accurate.
  
  Overall, worth reading. I have discussed with many people about it and it is indeed a paradigm changing book for many; I think in the most positive way.
• 
  Varun Nair

  A wonderful book and surely an eye opener. It awakens you to the idea that "we" are constantly dominated by our left brain (the so-called "master"), including the sense of "self". As shown through several scientific experiments conducted on patients, the left brain can indeed be drastically wrong about various aspects of reality. Does that apply to "self" as well ?
• 
  Christopher Lopez

  A great book in many ways:
  
  - Content is relevant
  - Easy to read
  - Short and straight to the point
  
  The language used in this book is really friendly. Anyone can read and understand the ideas in the book. Anyone trying to understand the idea behind enlightenment, ego, and some other misunderstood concepts will find a clear scientific explanation.
  
  5 stars easy.
• 
  Jamie

  Interesting read with scientific analysis on how our brains operate. I particularly enjoyed the parts that contained links with eastern spirituality and consciousness. 4/5.
• 
  Tobias Leenaert

  short book, clearly written. maybe the rational approach helps some. I found the left/right brain distinction, in the context of peace of mind etc, interesting
• 
  Nima Morgan

  This is the book that you must read over and over again. Dr. Niebauer explains how our brain works, and this knowledge will set you free.
• 
  Shannon

  A very interesting read. Some of what was in here was stuff I already knew, but a lot of it was new info. Plenty of it was even shocking. A good book for anyone looking to understand the human brain a bit more.
• 
  Chetan

  This is fantastic. No Self, No Problem is a must read! One of the best books I've read all year.
• 
  Lim

  This book reminds me of a beautiful saying I have once heard: happiness is the expansion of self, but joy... joy is the dissolution of self. The self, at least as commonly known, is fictional. It is a by-product of the “conscious” thinking process. When the self dissolves, the universe begins. To this end, when we are not busy fighting and killing each other, humanity has spent much of our time on this Earth finding ways to self dissolution in order to experience a higher, purer and “whole”-er form of consciousness, one which supposedly has more compassion, love and joy. I believe that this is where all sorts of religion converge. If Buddhism dissolves the self into the moment, Christianity dissolves it into God. Both are equally right.
  
  In any case, I would definitely read this book as a reminder that we are much, much, much more than who we “think” we are.
• 
  Andria

  Thought provoking, meditative book that combines research on the nature of the left and right brain with ancient Eastern teachings on the concept of "no self."
  
  I wanted Niebauer's ideas to push further - if we accept that the self is a construct of the left brain, what is consciousness? How are we defining something that we could theorize doesn't actually exist? The final chapter hints at a greater universal interconnectedness and a "game" of triumphs and tragedies. But this passage lacked clarity compared to the well argued earlier chapters that combined neuropsychology with Buddhist teachings.
  
  Still, a book I appreciated despite not fully accepting its hypothesis. It has made me more aware of the voice in my own head and how limiting thoughts can shape our perspective to our detriment.
• 
  Michael Bievenouer

  It why the self isn't.
  
  I selected this title because there has always been a question for me as to if there is no self then what is on the constant cycle of rebirths? Through this was not directly explained, (no explanation from another is really beneficial) how we each have grown an artificial self is very nicely covered. Also some helpful advice is given on why and how to do without it.